What to look for in a bjj rash guard
Since the rise of mma, no gi bjj has become more popular. When practicing BJJ, people used to only wear Gi’s. However, now rash guards are becoming more popular within jiu jitsu. Rash guards are typically made out of Polyester and Spandex blend. Spandex gives the material good stretch and strength giving you support and comfort when rolling.
Some companies like Venom use more spandex (20%), which can make their rash guards quite restricting and less comfortable. It becomes more of a compression or base layer with this component breakdown. This is not a knock on Venum as they have some great rash guards and the material is good, but with this amount of Spandex, you might need to get a size up from what you normally are. We would advise aiming for a 85/15 Polyester/Spandex mix as this gives you optimum support, flexibility and comfort when rolling.
The Best BJJ Rash Guards for all bjj and martial arts
Best Creative Artwork BJJ Rash Guards
Drakon Fightwear Zodiac Wheel Rash Guard
This might be seemingly biased but we believe that this rash guard is among the most creative out there. Drakon Fightwear aim to provide the most creative and unique rash guards to the world, so that when you train, you don’t go unnoticed.
On the back of the rash guard, there is a Zodiac Wheel with a purple/black merge throughout. This design and colour scheme is consistent throughout the rash guard. The front of the rash guard consists of stars throughout, resembling the universe. The quality of material is also as good as it gets. It’s made up of 85% Polyester & 15% Spandex. This provides you with strong material with good stretch to allow you to stay flexible and provide you with optimum comfort when rolling or sparring.
Tatami teamed up with SEGA Europe to create this timeless classic together with three nostalgic pieces: Streets of Rage, Altered Beast and Golden Axe. This rash guard features Golden Axe artwork spread across the front of the rash guard paying tribute to a game that gave so many people an outlet of strength, myth and fantasy. Away from the front, there is pixelated printing throughout the back and sleeves to offer a cool retro look.
In terms of quality, it is what you would expect from Tatami. Consisting of a polyester/spandex blend, this give you the flexibility to perform optimally when rolling. In addition to the comfort of the design, fully sublimated printing of the artwork protects against any cracking, ensuring long term protection.
Raven Fightwear Nordic Rash Guard
Available in various colours, this Nordic design has a real vintage look which is quite unique for rash guards. For artwork collections, this design is subtle and not as colourful as other brands. This makes it very appealing as it’s different from what is out there already. You can also customise the design if you buy from Raven directly, deciding whether you want the rubber band or not. You can even upload custom graphics and logos for an extra fee.
In terms of quality, the material is good, consisting of 80% Polyester and 20% Spandex. You may want to consider purchasing a size up from what you normally get as the Spandex blend can make it a little restricting. The design is also sublimated, so the artwork won't fade away over time.
Some of the best, most Classic Rashguards
Tatami Thinker Monkey Rash Guard
Definitely one of the classics you would see in your gym week in, week out. This rash guard has one of the best, most iconic design out there. The artwork shows a monkey in a thinker pose on top of a fallen competitor. Truly unique piece of art.
In terms of quality, again, it is what you would expect from Tatami. The material is durable, yet flexible to give you comfort when training. The design is also sublimated to prevent from any significant fading and peeling.
Venum Gladiator 4.0 Rash Guard
It’s hard not to include any Venum gear when talking about best/most iconic bjj rash guard. This rash guard is also common across bjj and mma gyms worldwide. It has a cool design throughout with Gladiator helmet on the front along with the Venum logo.
In terms of quality of material, I think it is more like a compression top, rather than a rash guard. Venum state it as a compression top and I have several of them, I find that they are too restricting when rolling on the mats. However, if you get a size up from what you normally get then this should be ok. It is definitely a skin tight design which doesn’t give your opponent anything to hold on to when grappling.
Best Overall BJJ Rash Guards
I like the design and material of this Hayabusa Rash Guard. It is a rather simple blue/green scale design throughout which I like. The material is also good and durable. The silicone waistband locks rash guard in place whilst the 4 way stretch fabric provides versatile mobility when training
Smmash - The Choker Short Sleeve bjj rash guard
Smmash have some really cool rash guard designs and love a good play on words with their names. The artwork on this Choker rash guard is high quality and unique displaying the Joker performing a Rear Naked Choke in a pretty disturbing fashion. The more you look at it the freakier it appears.
Consists of a Second Skin technology, a special cut based on the body structure and the panel structure of the material. This allows for a nice comfortable fit with unrestricted freedom of movement.
This Scramble Tactic rash guard has a very simple, minimalist design featuring a subtle camo design throughout. I have included this rash guard as it is a comfortable fit and made from good material. Better than some of the top brands like Venum in my opinion.
This is a very popular rash guard among hardcore bjj practitioners. It may not be as big of a brand as some of the giants, but the designs and material are as good as it gets.
Best Cheap Bjj Rash Guards
You can find this rash guard on Amazon with a 5 star rating. The design has an ice/glacier look to it throughout with a Gorilla on the left sleeve. Made from 80% Polyester and 20% Spandex, the material is very good for the cheap price. This creates a tighter fit than a standard rash guard. Therefore, you may need to get a size up for better fit. On the other hand, if you want to show off your muscles, then this the rash guard will do the job. Definately a good addition to your rash guard collection
Available in various different colours, this rash guard is great for your bjj journey. The price is cheaper than the bigger named brands but the quality is definitely up to scratch. Some of the big bjj and mma players rep this brand like John Danaher so it must be good.
The user reviews are also generally very positive with many of the feedback stating the value for money. The design consists of mesh underarms and gradual compression keeps you agile and provides better ventilation.
Lafroi Short Sleeve Rash Guard
For the value of this rash guard, the material is pretty good consisting of 85% Polyester & 15% Spandex. The artwork is also creative and colourful and will definitely help you stand out when rolling.
This rash guard can be used for many different sports. The UV protection helps fight against sunburn, so can also be used for water sports. It really is a jack of all trades. The fabric is also lightweight and absorbs moisture well whilst maintaining breathability and continuously keeps your body out from humidity. The Spandex helps give your muscles compression to hold your muscles and prevent overstretch, whilst maintaining comfort when training.
Named Bjj Brands on this list
The above choices were selected from reviewing over 100 different jiu jitsu and martial arts clothing brands. These were selected based on the most popular rash guards with great reviews on amazon and their own online stores. Notice we have selected 10 different brands all of which are good quality and top brands. Venum and Tatami are arguably the 2 biggest names from this list. However, take a look at the other names on the list and you might find a rash guard that you prefer on their site. All of these are good and trusted brands so you can just choose the designs you like the most.
Drakon Fightwear – A new brand to market that focuses on bringing unique and creative designs for those that are not afraid to stand out and be different
Tatami – Obviously on the list as this is a reputable brand that is repped by some of the biggest names in jiu jitsu around the world.
Venum – Another reputable brand that has a wider focuses across all martial arts and general leisurewear. They sponsor some of the biggest name in mixed martial arts
Raven Fightwear – Raven offer some of the coolest designs on the market with vintage/historic designs and artwork. A lot of their designs are based on Mythology.
Hayabusa – Hayabusa don’t specialise in bjj. Instead they branch out across all martial arts including Boxing and mma. Their bjj rash guards are quite simple in design but are made from good material and a good choice.
Smmash – This is a brand that has quite an array of bjj rash guard designs varying greatly. Some are really creative and others are quite plain and simple. Smmash offer products across lots of different sports from bjj/mma to water sports and even yoga
Scramble – This is an up and coming brand with good and reliable products. Their rash guards are of very good quality and specialsied for bjj.
Huge Sports – This brand is a jack of all trades offering products across many different sports. Their bjj rash guards are cheaper in price and not as high quality as the other brands mentioned but have good designs and worth adding to your rash guard collection
Sanabul – Very good quality for their low price. Sanabul offer products across martial arts and overall fitness
Lafroi – Again the material is not as high quality as the other brands but cheap in price and great for adding to your rash guard collection
Let us know what your favourite rash guard is below!